The Apple 802.11n Illusion

On January 9th of 2007 Apple introduced the latest AirPort Extreme, a new wireless networking device that was said to deliver up to five times the performance and twice the range of the previous model.

But since that time, Apple's rollout of products capable of talking at these "extreme" speeds has been spotty at best. Some have been upgraded while others have simply languished. Worse, several new products have backpeddled speed-wise, only supporting the slower 802.11g protocol.

It's well known that achieving the fastest data rates requires that all of the computers or devices on a network to be 802.11n-enabled. But can you actually do so in practice?

Or are we simply chasing Apple's high-speed chimera?

Let's examine the following chart:

802.11	B	G	N
MacBook	X	X	X
MacBook Pro	X	X	X
Mac mini	X	X
iMac	X	X	X
Mac Pro	X	X	X
iPhone	X	X
iPod Touch	X	X
Apple TV		X	X
AirPort Express	X	X
AirPort Extreme	X	X	X

As you can see, all Macs are now "n" compatible... except for the mini, which has yet to be upgraded.

The AirPort Extreme base-station supports 802.11n, while the Express does not, only going up to "g". And neither the newly introduced iPhone nor the Touch supports 802.11n.

Worse, as I mentioned in Why Apple's AirPort Extreme is No Substitute for the AirPort Express, the mix of features available complicates matters.

If you want iTunes streaming to remote speakers, then you need an Express. But since an Express is b/g-only, the computer you're streaming from needs to be on a "g" network and not "n", negating the speed advantages of "n".

Or take the idea of a home-media server. On the face of it a petite and relatively inexpensive Mac mini would seem to be perfect for such a solution. But minis are also b/g-only, and so syncing with an Apple TV on an "n" network is also a no-no. Using "g" also makes for a dog-slow file transfers, so a mini as file server is out too.

One could backup to the Extreme itself, and... no. That's not recommended.

So let's say you forget AirTunes, and get an Extreme and an iMac and decide to go for "n" bliss. But what about iPhone? Get Apple's latest toy for Christmas and you're hosed, since it too is a b/g-only device. Have to drop down again.

Once could, as Apple so kindly recommends, get an Express AND an Extreme and setup a "n" and a "g" network. And it would seem that would let you get AirTunes as well. And it does. Sort of.

But wrinkles abound here as well, since the Express needs to be physically connected to the Extreme via Ethernet, which limits the placement of the speakers. And, once again, the computer you're streaming from needs to be "g", so it can't be on an "n" network, which gives you Apple TV syncing and performance problems, which...

Wait! Maybe I can use the AirPort Utility to configure the Express to operate in bridge-mode so I can pass through from the Extreme so I can relay to yet another Express that will...

Confused? So am I. And I'm supposed to be an expert in these things.

Apple's current networking mishmash presents too many unnecessary issues to users attempting to setup basic home and small business networks. All too often 802.11n is out there, but as the old saying goes: You just can't get there from here.

Bottom line? Apple needs upgrade their cool toys so that they all support 802.11n, and so we can actually use the high-speed networking we've been promised.

And without needing a WiFi rocket-scientist to design a straightforward home network.

It's all supposed to "just work, remember?

Comments

[Constable Odo]

I've installed the Edimax USB "n" dongle (from OWC) on my G4 MacMini and it works great for me. My Airport Extreme Base Station n Is in the basement and the MacMini is one flight up. Great speeds and strong signal. I stream videos from my FW800 MDD server (running Tiger Server) which is right next to the AEBSn.

So a USB dongle is something to consider for machines that don't come standard with "n". I've been waiting to purchase a MacMini with a total upgrade (mobo, chips, graphics) but I maybe the upgraded Apple TV 2.0 will preclude the need. I'd rather have an upgraded MacMini that has the output features of the Apple TV.

[shawn]

My problem is no N support for the iPhone. I have an extreme base station and macbook but I had to drop to G for my iphone. I am almost thinking of running an express for my iphone and move my extreme back to N at 5ghz. for my macbook. I will do this if I get a macpro or macbook pro.

[Jeremy Wechsler]

Another solution is because the airports operate in bridge mode, you can do what I did:

1) set up your airport 802.11n network on the extreme at 5ghz, and connect an airport express through the ethernet cable.

2) Assign a static ip address to the Airport Express in the same class C you are using on the airport extreme.

3) Set both airports to dole out addresses in the same class C as long as they don't overlap.. I split my class C into two networks of 128, but you can fiddle with the subnet mask.

In essence, as long as there's only one reasonable route, the airport express and extreme will route packets as through they are a bridge on a class C. Your 802.11n devices work on the high speed, and the 802.11g network runs separately so you don't experience any slowdown.

[Michael Long]

Jeremy, as I alluded above, the AirTunes problem can be done with an Extreme base station, an Express base station, and a second Express, and by properly configuring the Expresses as bridges...

But it's not a solution I'd expect the average homeowner to be able to figure out, nor buy all of the extra hardware to implement.

Hence the article. But thanks.